December 2014

A year in review

The 2013-14 financial year was the fourth year of implementation of the APC Strategic Plan. The momentum that has been built through the hard work and achievements of the APC Council, staff and signatories has contributed to the achievement of the current 64.2% recycling rate and significant year on year drops in litter. We have already achieved or exceeded some of our 2015 key performance targets and are making great progress on the remainder.

We have just published the 2014 Annual Report which details the past year's activities. We hope you enjoy reading and sharing in these achievements.

Access the 2014 Annual Report

New signatory resource

The Business Case for Packaging Sustainability

Packaging projects can often achieve positive environmental outcomes while delivering financial and other benefits to businesses. This new APC resource explores the business case for packaging sustainability by examining successful projects from eleven signatory companies and identifying the common ‘strategies for success’ in their approaches.

The strategies outlined in the resource provide practical guidance to other businesses that want to create business value through improving the sustainability of their packaging.

The case studies also demonstrate that improvements in packaging design can deliver multiple business benefits, some of which were unforseen – including reduction in costs, increased sales, reduced product loss or damage, market recognition and improved supply chain relationships.

We would like to thank all those who participated in the case studies, providing valuable insights for other signatories.

Access "The Business Case For Packaging Sustainability"

Business Clean up Day 2015

Don’t forget that Business Clean Up Day is just around the corner!

Business Clean Up Day is part of the Clean Up Australia program, and many signatories have committed in their action plans to take part. Last year, twenty four signatory organisations registered their involvement with the APC.

Site registrations will open soon; you may wish to consider what site you’d like to focus on in February.

Contact Georgia Carthey for further information about BCUD.

Declaration forms due 19/12

As part of your commitment to the APC, signatories are required to declare their packaging related turnover on an annual basis. This declaration helps the APC Secretariat manage the annual invoicing of signatories and determine your contribution for 2014-2015.

Please be sure to have your CFO (or equivalent) complete and sign the APC Declaration Form* and return it via email to signatory@packagingcovenant.org.au prior to COB Friday, 19 December 2014.

Emails were sent to all signatories on the 26th November, 2014 with information about the annual declaration and a copy of the declaration form. If you did not receive the email, please contact Mitzi MacDonald, Signatory Services Officer at signatory@packagingcovenant.org.au to request a copy of the email and the declaration form.

Please note that all signatories are required to complete and return the declaration form, even if your turnover from the previous year has not changed. We require this documentation for our financial audit.

Invoices based on your declaration will be sent out at a later date, in 2015.

Opportunities for purchasing recycled content

Did you know that many common office products, including sticky notes, pens and toner cartridges can contain recycled materials? Diaries, envelopes and greeting cards are other common purchases that can contain recycled materials. If you’re having difficulty meeting your recycled purchasing commitments under KPI 4 of your action plan, these and other suggestions for recycled content purchases can be found in our resource on Purchasing Opportunities. They include a range of options for cleaning, fleet maintenance, and building materials – some may even save you money.

Introducing Mitzi MacDonald

The APC would like to welcome Mitzi MacDonald to the team as our new signatory services officer. Mitzi has a Masters in Environmental Management from UNSW, where she previously worked as a clerkship coordinator.

Mitzi will be looking after signatory compliance procedures as part of the Member Services team.

Case study corner

Using the APC's resources to improve process and approach

Rainbow Reindeer are an APC signatory who sell children’s toys in Australia. They have an existing plan and are in the process of reviewing their packaging against the SPG, but don’t always find the process intuitive or effective, and are looking for ways to improve.

While considering how to assess their new range of Christmas themed packaging, team leader Rhonda realises that the APC has released a series of case studies demonstrating the business case for packaging sustainability. By reading these and the APC’s packaging assessment case studies, she identifies specific ways in which to improve their packaging assessments, and ways in which these might be financially beneficial for the organisation.

When they undertake the reviews, Rhonda’s adaptations to their assessment tool help the team to identify that the addition of a plastic handle to their fibre gift bags makes these less recyclable. They work with their supply chain to come up with a better option, which they trial for their Christmas lines, before rolling out to other products.

APC Projects Update

If you missed our announcement about the new suite of 2014 APC funded projects you can find it on the APC website.

Through these projects the APC has committed $4.5 million in funding which will see a total investment of $11 million in recycling and litter reduction across Australia.

APC project delivers plastic recycling facility to QLD

Replas have officially opened their new plastics recycling facility on the Gold Coast. The 3000 square metre purpose built facility is the only operation in Queensland able to process a full range of plastic packaging materials diverted from landfill.

The Gold Coast centre will initially make the Brolga Bollard — a post designed specifically for the Queensland market and winner of the Civenex 2014 Best Environmental Product Award. Production of the Brolga saved over 14,000 kg of waste plastic packaging from landfill in its first month and in full production is expected each month
to consume 30,000 kg of soft plastics largely sourced through the RED Group Coles REDcycle program.

The APC was proud to provide funding to this project.

Completed Projects

Please click the links below to discover more about each of our recently completed project and to view the final reports.

NAT 191/13 - Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company - Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon Event Recycling Program.

QLD 148/12 – Replas – Plastic Waste Recycling Facility QLD

VIC SA 157/12 - ECO-Buy Limited - Strengthening market demand for mixed plastic recycled content products through procurement

VIC 158/12 - Darebin City Council - PPR at two main shopping strips in the City of Darebin

NSW 199/13 – Green Money - In dependent Evaluation of a Kerbside Recycling Rewards and Education Program for Households

Seasons Greetings

We wish all of our signatories and stakeholders and safe and happy festive season.

The APC office will close at 12pm on Christmas Eve and reopen on Monday 5 January 2014.

Contact us

Email: apc@packagingcovenant.org.au
Phone: 02 8249 4080
Postal Address: GPO Box 4216, Sydney NSW 2001
Street Address: Suite 1205, 3 Spring Street, Sydney NSW 2000

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